BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: Choosing the Right Camera Flashes

Any comments on Nissin Flash Auto 6000AF?

I would be most interested in any comments from those who may have used this (or perhaps other Nissin) flash units.

I guess I would be most interested in any comments about accuracy in exposure, quality of the light (eveness, naturalness in colour temperature) and reliability / service.

For all the twenty years I have had my Mamiya (35mm) I have sought to be an "avaliable light" purist and distained flash.

However, having become more pragmatic as I grow older, I have lately become interested in expanding to flash - mainly infill, but also the softer bounce when indoors.

I am starting to evaluate the Nissin unit after having borrowed and experimented with a Metz (32 CT4).

I use K64 slide film almost all the time, and also most often a 28mm lense. I am 2/3 way through my first test roll in making copious distance and flash readings (Gossen LUNASIX F)and have spotted this forum and so decided to see if anyone has already been down this path.

There are cerainly more "industry standard" units (eg Metz...). However, I thought I would try the cheaper alternative first given the oportunity to experiment without obligation on an out of the box unit.

I look forward to any responses.

Many thanks in advance.

David Gibbins
(Newcastle Australia)

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July 28, 2002

Best wishes,

Max

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April 04, 2003

My pilgrimage ended this way: By trawling the web I found a 2nd hand Metz mecablitz 60 CT-4 with dry pack (and System SCA 300 which I cannot use on my Mamiya) for a very good price in great condition - and I snapped it up. I am extemely happy with the results it gives and it has so far behaved flawlessly. The unit was in Sydney - and I live about 2 hours north of Sydney (still in NSW).

Along the way, I used a couple of rolls of film (K64 slide, always taking flash light readings with my Gossen (Lunasix F)in flash mode - both incident and reflected. I used all kinds of lighting conditions, from daylight fillfor backlit to bounce and direct. I used the same test objects and subject matter and took most of these in clear daylight incident exposed as reference shots. I found:
* The Nissin 6000 AF had a slight blue cast (often evident on skin tones) and this was consistently commented on and identifiable in random viewings by people who are not particulalry interested in photography. IN contrast the Metz always had (and still always still has) very natural skin tones.
* The Nissin 6000 AF had quite a noticeable fall off in light output above and below a horizontal band. This turned out to be more than a stop more fall off than I measured in the Metz, which has no noticeable fall off.
*Oncethe batteries started to go in the Nissin 6000AF, it was a LONGtime before the unit was charged and ready to fire again. The Metz, with the dry pack is always quick and I never have to wait and miss a shot.
*The Nissin was fine for ease of handling (no external battery). The Metz drypack is a pain!
*The Nissin 6000AF Guide Number that I measured was consistently a bitmore than a stop less than the spec said (high thirty metres and up to 40m). The Metz is exactly a stop under the rated 60 GN when I measure it (ie GN 42)
+This GN "shortfall" caused me a lot of heartache (it was repeatable with other light meters). That is until I read: http://www.mindspring.com/~woharris/tech/gn.htm ("Flash Guide Numbers: Fact or Fiction?"). What I observed and found in my real results on the test shots was normal and correct - because it would appear that manufacturer's std tests will always give a GN about a stop more. (ie GN 60 claimed = GN 42 in real world.

After all this, I now just set the Metz as the need is at hand, forget about all the technical stuff - and get beautifully exposed slides ALL the time (and beutiful slides far less often!)

All the best - and many thanks again Max for your interest and help, whcih is much appreciated.

Kind regards

David

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April 05, 2003